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I gave up FaceBook for lent. It’s been 9 long days. I have chosen to stay off “IT” till Easter Sunday, except Sundays. On Sundays I can “take the day off.” Seems ironic to me to take Sundays off, since the Lent is “a season of self-examination, fasting and penance in preparation for our Easter Day observance.” Sundays are the day we go to church and focus more on Jesus. I am able to post pictures with an app on my phone, but can’t see the comments till Sunday. I really look forward to Sundays right now…

School has started for both kids. Avery is loving third grade. She loves that she has the same teacher as she did last year and a bunch of friends in there too. All summer she kept asking me if I thought she would have that teacher or not. I just kept reassuring her, then saying a quick prayer. I was relieved when I found out for sure she’d have the same teacher as last year too.

Avery on her first day back to school. She was happy to see her friends and start school again. She told me she’s excited to learn cursive, multiplication tables and about the solar system. Love that she’s excited to learn.

Sawyer is enjoying school too. He’s going to the same pre-school as he did last year, three days a week. I am at peace having made the choice for him to “red shirt” a year before going into kindergarten. He is where he needs to be this year. I do look forward to him being in kindergarten and at the same school as Avery, but it can wait.

Sawyer on his first day in his pre-k class. He doesn’t look too excited in this picture, but he was happy to be there and a had a good day. He even asked if he could do his homework when we got home. No homework this week!

Sawyer is now 5 years old. He’s been looking forward to his birthday for over a month now. Just about every morning he’s asked me, is “today my birthday?” He chose to wear this new shirt he got from his Aunt Mardi today. The patch didn’t last long, but he loved wearing this pirate shirt.

Sawyer had a fabulous day. I let him call all the shots, well almost all the shots. After we took Avery camp, all he wanted to do was go home and play with his gifts. He opened a few toys, then moved on to the Lego kits.

Sawyer built this Lego car from a kit all by himself. I was so proud of him when he finished, he was proud of himself too. All I did was help him with the stickers. He didn’t get frustrated, and he didn’t get mad and quit. When Sawyer plays his DS we usually have to make him take a break because he gets so frustrated.

By the end of the day he built all these from Lego kits. It was nice to see him build these and I didn’t have to sit there and help him.

Sawyer chose Dickey’s for his birthday dinner. Not high-class but it’s a restaurant that we all like.

At the end of the day, Sawyer told me he had the best day ever. He told me the best part was when Dan took him to pick out a new bike and helmet. We’ll go tomorrow to pick it up. He’ssure excited to be 5.

I finished reading Fantastic Mr Fox to the kids. I loved siting up in my bed or on the couch with a kid on each side listening to every word I read. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily Sawyer let me read the book. It took a few days longer than I expected because the kids were in an evening VBS all last week. By the time we got home and the kids were ready for bed, it was just too late to read.

Movie time! I hadn’t seen the movie Fantastic Mr Fox, but Avery had. She said it was nothing like the book. Avery mentioned to a friend of mine that we were almost done with the book, then we’d then watch the movie. My friend had seen the movie and was surprised that it was a children’s book. From what she could remember the movie wan’t “really a kids movie.” Mmmm, what’s the movie like?!?

We finally watched the movie and… Avery was right, not much like the book. My friend was right too… not really a kids movie. The screenplay was written by Wes Anderson, whom Dan loves. Wondering if Wes actually read the book, or just read a 4th grade book report? He had the same actors as his other movies do the voices; George Clooney, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson… The story in the book was pretty simple… the movie version was complicated and full of “adult humor.”

A major part of the “adult humor” that Avery picked up on is “cuss.” They used the word “cuss” to replace all bad words. “What/why the cuss?” “Are you cussing kidding me” “Why the cuss…” “I’m going to cuss you up.” “That cussing animal…” “This is a cluster-cuss.” I have to admit I did find humor in these lines… but Avery didn’t know what the word “cuss” was before watching this movie.

All in all I’m glad we read the book and watched the movie, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I definitely suggest reading the book, but not watching the movie. The book is a simple story and a quick read with lots of pictures. The movie has nothing to do with the book, not really a kids movie and full of adult humor.

Since we finished this book we started Stuart Little. Sawyer wasn’t interested at all and Avery said she could wait to read it. Then we started James and the Giant Peach. Sawyer got “too tired” during the second chapter, but Avery was loving it. We will try again tomorrow night with James. I hope Sawyer starts to like. It does have less pictures than Fantastic Me Fox.

The other day Avery came home from a friends house with a “surprise for Sawyer.” She couldn’t explain anymore since Sawyer was listening too. She immediately went to her room and stayed there for about 20 minutes. That night she showed me what she’d been up to. She had a bunch of “treasurers” in a box that the “brother fairy” will be bringing to Sawyer at night. She asked me to put the letter under his pillow after he’d gone to sleep.

This is the letter that the “brother fairy” left for Sawyer.

Sawyer was pretty excited when Avery read the letter to him in the morning. He was excited about the brother fairy and getting a gift. Avery kept reminding him that the brother fairy was following him and watching him.

I have no idea where she came up with this “brother fairy” idea, but I love that she’s including Sawyer this time. We’ll see where this goes…

Tonight I read the first three chapters of Fantastic Mr Fox (Roald Dahl) to both kids tonight. I let Avery choose the book. She knew she wanted one of the Roald Dahl books from the set she got last Christmas. I’m glad she picked a book that has a movie that we can watch after we finish the book.

This is the first book I’m reading out loud to both kids. I was a little nervous, not sure how Sawyer would handle it, but he did great and was really interested in the story. It’s a pretty short book, so I think we’ll be able to finish in a week or two.

I hope they both enjoy the book and let me read it to them without fooling around. We shall see…

In elementary school I knew girl that never said “what?” If she didn’t hear you she’d say “pardon?” or “I didn’t hear you.” No, she wasn’t English, she was American. At the time my friends and I thought it was so weird. Who doesn’t say “WHAT?!?” Now that I’m a parent, I can see why her parents insisted on it.

A while ago I asked Avery which CD she wanted to listen, when I heard her answer me with, “I don’t care.” I thought it sounded sassy and rude. She wasn’t trying to be rude, just stating she didn’t mind which CD I picked. I thought about it. What can we respond with that doesn’t sound so flippant… I decided on “it doesn’t matter to me.” It does sound so much better.

So now when Avery hears someone say IDK she nudges me to point it out.

A few weeks ago our Soy Sauce celebrated his 1/2 birthday, he is now 4 and a half.

Such a silly boy. He is up to a lot “tricks” lately. He hides things and says that Minnie (our cat) threw them away or that Avery (who is at school) gave them to a friend. When I find the item, he cracks up and shouts, “I tricked you!” Very funny!

Such a goofball. He either is super silly in pictures or refuses to be in them. Such a ham!

Tonight Avery asked me what I thought Sawyer would be like when he’s her age. Hmmm, I do wonder… but I’ll enjoy him being 4 and a half right now. He’ll be 7 before we know it.